The Summer Olympics in Paris kick off in mere hours, so how appropriate that today I’m going deep with the first Guides Gone Wild former Olympian, Nicole Freedman, now the Executive Director of NEMBA, the New England Mountain Bike Association.

As you'll hear, Nicole’s Team USA experience is impressive, but even more amazing to me are the decades of devotion she’s applied to making bikes, and bike transportation, a bigger part of our everyday lives.

Nicole was the city of Boston’s first-ever 'Bike Czar'; during her tenure, she helped transform Boston from the three-times designated 'worst cycling city in the country' (according Bicycling Magazine), into a national leader in cycling accessibility and safety.

After some additional stints leading both urban and rural active transportation initiatives, in 2022, Nicole took the helm of NEMBA - only the third Executive Director in that organization’s 35 year history. NEMBA is a community of mountain bikers committed to creating epic riding experiences, preserving open space, and guiding the future of mountain biking in New England through its 35 chapters across all six New England states.

It’s almost like we’re e-biking our way through this conversation, we cover so much ground! From metro-west to Stanford to Sydney to Seattle, with multiple boomerangs back to the Boston area, all with the goal of making bikes the new normal for commuters, conservationists, and casual riders alike (no hot dog costume required!!)

Links from our conversation (not chain, the other kind!):

• New England Mountain Bike Association (NEMBA): https://nemba.org/
• Elevate: https://elevatemtb.com/
• Guides Gone Wild talks with Sabra Davison, Little Bellas
• Vermont Mountain Bike Association: https://vmba.org/
• Kingdom Trails Association (VT): https://www.kingdomtrails.org/
• Hub on Wheels (not happening any more, likely a victim of COVID, sigh - but here's link to a Hub on Wheels FB page showing info and images from 2019): https://www.facebook.com/HubOnWheels/
• Toole Design Group
• Co2 Inflator Kits
• Bear Brook State Park (NH)

Today I’m welcoming one of my wild new Western Maine friends, Julie Sloan, an owner and the lead instructor at Maine River Runners (https://www.maineriverrunners.com/) in Bethel, Maine.

Maine River Runners came to town the summer of 2023, and jumped right in to the local business community with their fleet of kayaks, canoes, stand up paddleboards, and accessories for rent, as well as a lesson program and shuttle service that brings paddlers up and down the Androscoggin from their riverfront home base in Bethel.

But this is no ‘Julie-come-lately’ story - even though her business just celebrated its first birthday, Julie Sloan has more than 20 years of experience teaching (both in classrooms and on the water), and holds certifications in swift water, coastal kayaking, SUP yoga teaching, and as an ACA Paddle Sports Safety Facilitator.

Julie’s story is one that fills me with joy because she has managed to meld her many interests and curiosities into a life she loves, that’s also creating so much good in the world and in her community as a result.

So get that river adventure on your calendar ASAP!:

• Maine River Runners : https://www.maineriverrunners.com/
• Evans Notch Lodge

Are you a registered Maine Guide itching to get your community and clients on the water this summer?

• Let’s talk paddle retreats!: https://www.evansnotchlodge.com/retreats

Or are you a land-lubber looking for some fun (and fabulous fundraising!) hiking opportunities this summer? :

• Join or Support the Guides Gone Wildcats hike for Alzheimer’s - July 27th
• Join or Donate to a Summits in Solidarity hike: https://givebutter.com/SummitsInSolidarity

Or has Julie inspired you to start your own outdoor business? Check out my Guide for Guides on Liability Insurance and Social Media Marketing!

A few more links from our conversation (come on over to GuidesGoneWild.com for the complete list):

• Ari Leach - Blackbird Guide Services
• Androscoggin River Watershed Council
• HALA inflatable paddle boards (CO)
• Zapstix Surf Shop (NH)

• Rasputitsa - https://rasputitsadirt.com/
• @rasputitsadirt - https://www.instagram.com/rasputitsadirt
• Heidi Myers on Guides Gone Wild (debut!)
• Trish & Jen talk about Vertical
• Specialized
• WHOOP
• Bourne's Energy
• Zero Gravity
• Jay Peak
• MidSouth Gravel - @midsouthgravel
• GroundedNE - @groundedne
• Big Red Gravel Run - @bigredgravelrun
• For the Love of Food Catering
• Bivo
• Trash Gear Co (bike fenders and mud guards made in VT from recycled plastic!)
• Julbo Eyewear
• Castelli
• Plink!
• Columbia Forest Products